Boston University Online Master of Science in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

This is the Boston University master's for people who want to build AI systems and need a computer science foundation to do it. It costs $25,000 for 30 credits and takes 16 months, and it starts with a bootcamp before the first semester. Choose it for the technical depth.

The Online Master of Science in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence is the most technical of the Boston University AI degrees on our list. It is 30 credits, organized as 10 modules, with a cohort-based model that combines live sessions and structured asynchronous work.

The cohort detail matters. You move through the program with the same group of classmates on a set 16-month schedule, which gives you built-in study partners and a fixed finish line. The tradeoff is less freedom to speed up or slow down than a program that lets you take years to finish.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The program uses a cohort-based online model with live sessions and structured asynchronous modules, so it is a mix. You will have scheduled live meetings and then work through modules on your own time.

Completion time is 16 months, and the cohort model suggests the pace is set for you. Ask how many hours a week the live sessions and coursework take, whether sessions are recorded, and what happens if you have to miss a module. For a computer science degree, also ask how much of the work is individual coding and how much is group projects.

Who It Fits

• You want to build software and AI systems, and you want a computer science master's with AI in the title.
• You like a fixed plan. Sixteen months with a cohort keeps you on track and gives you people to work with.
• You are ready to take a computer science bootcamp before classes start to bring your skills up to speed.

Who Should Skip It

• You have no technical background and want a leadership degree. The AI in Business master's at the same school requires no coding.
• You need a long runway to finish. This program lists a 16-month completion time, not the multi-year option another Boston University program offers.

You complete 30 credits across 10 modules, and the degree ends with the CX 699 Capstone Project. Before the first semester, incoming students complete a Computer Science Bootcamp two weeks before classes start.

The bootcamp suggests the program expects you to arrive with some programming ability but also meets you partway if your background is uneven. Ask what the bootcamp covers, how many hours it takes and what happens if you struggle in it. Also ask for the ten module titles so you can see how the AI coursework is divided between theory and building.

Standout Features

• Cohort-based model with live sessions and collaborative projects
• Two-semester AI in Industry Series with case studies and conversations with industry practitioners and program alumni

Total tuition is $25,000 for the 30 credits, the same as the other Boston University AI master's in computer science, enterprise and software engineering. It is less than the $30,000 the Ed.M. in AI and Education costs.

The bootcamp comes before the semester starts, so ask whether it carries a separate charge or is covered in the $25,000. Also confirm any technology fees and whether the total can change before you finish the 16 months.

You would earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from Boston University, a private nonprofit school in Boston. Federal data lists the university's graduation rate at 89%, a school-wide figure that does not speak for this program.

Ask about programmatic accreditation and whether the GRE is required. If you plan to move into engineering roles, the capstone project is your best proof of skill, so ask what past students built.

Where this degree can lead: Data Scientist Jobs, Jobs You Can Get With an AI Degree.

• The bootcamp before the first semester adds an extra step, and you need the time for it two weeks before classes start.
• The cohort schedule is fixed at 16 months, so you have less room to slow down than in a program that allows several years.
• Live sessions mean you have to be free at certain times each week.
• A tied score with three siblings does not show which Boston University program suits you. Technical goals are the reason to pick this one.

• What does the Computer Science Bootcamp cover, and how many hours does it take?
• Does the $25,000 include the bootcamp and all fees?
• How many hours a week do the live sessions and coursework take for a student with a full-time job?
• Which programming languages and AI tools do the 10 modules use?
• What did past students build for the CX 699 Capstone Project?
• What programming experience do successful applicants usually have before they start?

Offered by BU Metropolitan College.

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